BAGHDAD, Iraq - Guerrillas who attack civilians in Iraq for collaborating with the U.S.-led coalition are committing war crimes, a human rights group said Saturday.

International humanitarian law forbids targeting civilians, New York-based Human Rights Watch noted in a statement.

"Civilians working for the occupying power are not legitimate targets of attack," Human Rights Watch said.

The statement cited attacks on translators, government officials and community leaders, including Aquila al-Hashimi, a member of Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council who was gunned down near her Baghdad home on Sept. 20.

"All Iraqi civilians are protected by the Geneva Conventions," said Joe Stork, acting executive director of the Middle East and North Africa division. "It doesn't matter whether they sympathize with the U.S. occupation, or with the insurgents."

Human Rights Watch also cited the deaths of Sargoun Murado, who represented Assyrian Christians on the municipal council of the southern city of Basra; two prominent judges, Muhan Jabir al-Shuwaili and Ismail Yusif; and Faris Abdul-Razzaq al-Asam, Baghdad's deputy mayor.

What about the US? Didn't we kill 55,000 during the invasion of Iraq? Your thick republican head seems to forget that we also are guilty of war crimes, but I guess you'll just try and reason that they're collateral damage and happy to die so that we can drive to work another mile

If they're using Geneva conventions to assess the situation in Iraq, does that mean the international community considers this a legitimate war? Recognizes terrorists as aggressors independent of the civilian population, as all I have read indicates that internationally there is a lot of doubt about wether Saddam is directing the opposition?

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